Apparatus for aerial navigation.



Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET 1 0R HEY.

M. PEARSON.

APPARATUS FOR AERIAL NAVIGATION.

APPLIDATIOI FILED FEB. 19, 1913^.

M. PEARSON.

APPARATUS FOB. AERIAL NAVIGATION.`

z slums-'SHEET z.

Patented Sept. 30,

WITNE SSE S 1 lNVE TOR.

" ATTORNEY.

MARTIN PEARSON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR AERIAL NAVIGATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. so, 1913.

Application filed February 19, 1913. Serial o. 749,549.

To all whom, t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MARTIN PEARso-N, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus Vfor Aerial Navigation; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to .which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to apparatus for aerial navigation; and it may be said to consist in t-he provision of the novel and advantageous features and in the novel and improved construction, arrangement and combination of parts and devices as will be apparent from the description and claims which follow hereinafter.

One object of the invention is to provideV novel and improved apparatus of the class specified which is adapted to travel vertically and has a large lifting and sustaining capacity.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel and improved apparatus of the nature specified, which has great inherent and automatic stability so that it is adapted to maintain equilibrium in varying eddies and currents of the air.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel and improved mechanism for directing the course of the apparatus in the air.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved horizontal screw which is adapted to operate with a comparatively small degree of slip and is constructed to provide sufficient supporting surface to sustain the apparatus in the event of the rotating means failing to act.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction whereby the semi-parachutic horizontal screw may be operated by either one or lboth of two independent motors. e

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construct-ion whereby a! horizontal propeller is adapted to act in conjunction with the horizontal screw to either raise or lower the apparatus vertically `or to carry it in any desired direction.

-Further objects of the invention are to provide novel' and improved apparatus of the class specified which is simple 1n character, strong and compact in construction, comparatively lightin weight, safe and easily controlled in use, and effective in action. Further objects and the advantages ofthe invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of theV following description of the preferred form of construction for apparatus embodying the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevational view of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the a paratus; Fig. 3 is an enlarged partly broken and sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a partly broken and sectional view taken on the line 4 4. of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6'is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is an enlarged partly broken and sectional view taken on the line 7*7 of Fig. 3; Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the bracket and rollers mounted thereon taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of the compressed air tank taken on the line 1 0*10 of Fig. 6. i

The frame 11 may consist of oppositely disposed uprights 12 and 13 connected by cross-bars 14, 15 and 16, together with oppositely disposed uprights 17 and 18 arranged at right angles to the uprights 12 and 13 and connected by cross-bars 19 and 20; the upper end portion of the uprights 12, 13, 17 and 18 being preferably formed semi-circular and joined together at the apex. `The frame l1 may have thereon wheels 21 which may be suitably mounted on the uprights 12, 13, 17 and 18.

The ring 22 provided with inwardlyprojecting fianges 23 and 24 is adapted to itover the upper end port-ion of the frame 1l and is connected to the frame 11 by means` of brackets 25 which are suitably affixed on the uprights l2, 13, 17 and 18 and have thereon horizontal rollers 26 adapted to contact with the ring 22 and also have thereon vertical rollers 27tand 28 adapted to contact with the flanges 23 and 24. e

The semi-parachutic, screw 29 consists of strips 30 having the lower end portion thereofarranged verticall and suitably secured to the ring 22 and aving the upper end portion thereof curved upwardly and extending outwardly and' downwardly and the screw 29 are preferably made succesvsively of increased length from opposite ends of a straight line passing through the center of the screw, thereby forming the screw elevating and sustaining surfaces 32v each of which slopes gradually downwardly and decreases lin size from the forward portion 33 thereof to the rear portion 34 thereof; the smaller rear endportion of one of the surfaces 32 being adjacent to the larger forward end portion of the other surface 32.

The horizontal screw 29 is preferably driven by either or both of the rotary motors 35 which may be disposed opposite to each other on the cross bar 19; the stationary shafts 36-of the motors 35 having one end thereof mounted on standards 37 on `the cross bar 1-9 and having the other end thereof mounted on brackets 38 suitably affixed on the uprights 17 and`18. The driving connections between the motors 35 and the horizontal screw 29 may consist of upright shafts 39 mounted in bearings 40 and 41 on the uprights 17 and 18 and having on the upper end thereof pinions 42 in mesh with teeth 43 on the ring 22 and having on the lower end thereof bevel pinions 44 in mesh with bevel pinions 45 at the ends of sleeves 46 which are rotatively mounted on the staltionary shafts 36; the sleeves 46 having feathered thereon parts 47 adapted to be moved to engage with parts 48 which are affixed to the rotors of the motors 35; the parts 47 and 48 preferablybeing in the fo'rm of coneclutches 49, see ig. 9. The parts 47 of the cone-clutches 49 may be moved into or out of engagement with the parts 48 by means of v levers 50 which are pivotally mounted on the cross bar 19 and have on the upper end thereof yokes 51 fittedin grooves in the parts 47; the lower end portion of the levers 50 having thereon handles 52 adapted to lbe locked 1n any desired. position by means of pins 53 adapted to engage with the 'teeth of segmental gears 54 mounted on the cross bar 19. The pins 53 may be operated by bell cranks 55 plvotally mounted on the handles 52.

A ring 56 has on the' upperend thereof a pivot 57 arranged to bear in the top of the frame 11 and has on its lower end an eXtension 58 having at the end thereof a pivot 59 bearing in the cross bar 2O of the frame 11. The extension 58 is preferably formed with a tubular part 60 extending downwardly from the ring 56, and substantially semi-circular oppositely disposed bars 61 disposed at thelower end of the tubular part'60 and having arranged thereon at right angles thereto the horizontal ring 62. Within the ring 56 is arranged a smaller ring 63 having the pivots 64 thereof bearing in the ring 56 and disposed at right angles to the pivots 57 and 59 of the ring 56. The ring 63 has thereon oppositely disposed sockets 65 which are arranged at right angles to the pivots 64. In the sockets 65 are fitted the end portions of the stationary shaft 66 having thereon the rotary motor 67 and the compressed air tank 68. A propeller is operatively connected to the rotor 69 of the motor 67-the propeller 70 being centrally disposed within the ring 63 and a pipe 71 passing freely through the hub 72 of the propeller is connected between adjacent ends of the tank 68 and of the motor 67 so that compressed air may be passed therethrough to 'start the motor 67.

Tocontrol the passage of compressed air from the tank 68, the latter may have thereon a valve 73 to which is affixed a lever 74 having attached thereto a cord 75, which is disposed within reach of the operator; a

sprlng 76 being adapted to hold the valve 73 in eit er open or closed position. On a stationary shaft 77 suitably affixed within the ring 62 is rotatively mounted the drum 78 having thereon the hand-wheel 79 for turn- .ing the drum 78. A clutch member 80 is normally pressed by spring 81 into engagement with the drum, and a shifting lever 82 is pivotally mounted on the ring 62 and adapted to move the clutch member 8 0 out of engagement with the drum 78 when it-is desired to turn the drum. A cable 83 passes around the drum 78 and has the ends thereof suitably secured to the ring 63 adjacent to the sockets-65 on the ring 63; said cable passing through the tubular part 10.

From the foregoing the mode of operation of the apparatus will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In use, the propeller 70 is driven in a direction opposite to that of the horizontal screw 29, and in traveling vertically the ring 63 is moved by turning the wheel 79, to a substantially vertical position-90 degrees from the position shown in Fig. 3 to 'have the propeller 70 disposed substantially horizontal. To travel horizontally, the wheel 79 is turned to tilt the ring 63 and thereby move the propeller 70 to be opening 32 in the horizontal screw 29 permits a downward movement of air therethrough and thereby reduces the pressure of the air on the upper side of the screw 29.

While one form of construction for apparatus embodying the invention has been particularly illustrated and described, there are many changes and modifications thereof invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the class specified, the combination of a frame, a ring provided with inwardly projecting flanges and adapted to fit over the upper end portion of the frame, brackets on the, frame, rollers on the brackets adapted to bear against said flanges, a horizontal screw mounted on said ring, a motor mounted on the frame, operative connections between the motor and said ring, a second ring provided with pivots at the upper and lower ends thereof bearing in said frame, a third ring provided with pivots bearing in the second ring 'at right angles to thel pivots on the second ring, a propeller, and a motor mounted on the third ring to drive said propeller.

2. In apparatus of the class specified, the combination of a frame, a ring adapted to fit over the upper end portion ofthe frame and'- provided with inwardly projecting flanges, brackets on the frame, rollers on the brackets adapted to bear against said anges, a motor mounted on the frame,

means for operatively connecting the motor with said ring, a horizontal screw mounted on said ring, a second ring provided with pivots at the upper and lower ends thereof bearing in said frame, a third ring provided with pivots bearing in the second ring at right angles to the pivots on the second ring, a propeller arranged substantially centrally in the third ring, a motor mounted on the third ring and operatively connected with the said propeller, a drum, and a cable passing around said drum and having the ends thereof connected to said third ring.

3. In apparatus of the class specified, the combination of a frame, a ring rotatively mounted on said frame, a horizontal. screw attached to said ring, a second ring having pivots on the upper and lower ends thereof bearing in Said frame, a third ring arranged within the second ring and having pivots thereon bearing in the second ring at right angles to the pivots on the second ring, a propeller arranged substantially centrally within the third ring, a motor mounted on the third ring and operatively connected with said propeller, means for turning the second ring, and means for turning the third ring.

4:. In apparatus of the class specified, the combination of a frame, a ring adapted to fit over the upper end portion of the frame, means for rotatively mounting said ring on said frame, a horizontal screw mounted on the ring, two independent motors mounted on the frame, means for operatively con necting said motors with said ring, a second ring provided with pivots at the upper and lower ends thereof bearing in said frame, a third ring provided with pivots bearing in the second ring at right an les to the pivots on the second ring, a prope ler arranged within the third ring, a motor mounted on the third ring and operatively connected with said propeller, and means for turning the third ring, at will.

5. In apparatus of the class speciied, the combination of a frame, a ring adapted to lit over the upper end portion of said frame and provided with inwardly projecting anges, brackets mounted on said frame, rollers on said brackets adapted to contact with said flanges, a horizontal screw mounted on said ring, a second ring provided with pivots on the upper and lower .ends thereof bearing in said frame, a thlrd ring provided with pivots bearing in the second ring at right angles to the pivots on the second ring, a propeller arranged MARTIN PEAR-SON.

Witnesses:

'W. M. GENTLE, A. H. LIDDERS. 

